Reducing cholesterol naturally

Cholesterol-Friendly Salted Chocolate Nutty Oatcakes

Oatcakes are so cheap and versatile – I eat them all the time. I have them for breakfast topped with cottage cheese or almond butter, for lunch topped with tuna or houmous, or as a snack dipped in houmous or with sliced avocado on top. Eating them is a great way to add more fibre to your daily diet, which helps to lower cholesterol. I always carry a packet around in my bag, and have boxes of them at home and at work, and find they work really well as an afternoon snack to tide me over until dinner.

I’ve been experimenting with oatcake-based cholesterol friendly desserts, and this recipe is one of my favourites. The peanut butter and other nuts make it even more cholesterol-friendly, as nuts are rich in monounsaturated fats, which help to lower cholesterol. I sometimes add goji berries too, which are high in anti-oxidants and other nutrients.

Chocolate is fine to eat in moderation if you’re trying to lower your cholesterol, as long as it’s at least 70% cocoa. I like adding a tiny bit of salt, but salted chocolate isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, so feel free to leave it out. I think 70% chocolate bars are best for this recipe, as they’re not too bitter, esepcially the ones with vanilla flavouring in, like Lindt.

Information

Makes 8 oatcakes

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 5 mins + cooling time

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

8 plain oatcakes

100g bar of dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher)

Peanut butter (no added sugar)

Flaked almonds, chopped hazelnuts (or alternatives)

Goji berries (optional)

Salt

Method

Preheat oven to 100*C (80*C for fan ovens).

Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Spread a thin layer of peanut butter on each oatcake, and lay them out on the baking paper in the baking tray (see photo below).

Take a square of chocolate, break in half, and place both bits on top of one of the peanut-buttered oatcakes, with a gap in between (see photo below).

Repeat for all oatcakes. 100g chocolate bars tend to be divided into 10 pieces, so you’ll end up with two spare pieces leftover.

Place the baking tray on the middle shelf of the pre-heated oven for 5 minutes. Make sure they’re not in for any longer than that!

Take the tray out of the oven, and carefully spread the melted chocolate across the oatcakes using the back of a teaspoon.

Grind salt evenly over the oatcakes (if using).

Sprinkle nuts and goji berries over the top.

Allow to cool, then place in the fridge until the chocolate hardens (about 15 minutes).

For more cholesterol-friendly recipes and tips on how to reduce cholesterol naturally, click here.

About me

I'm Alice, a 34 year old from the UK. I love food and cooking, and have always been interested in nutrition. So when I found out I had high cholesterol in February 2016, I decided to figure out what changes I could make to my diet that would help to reduce it naturally, without medication. I started this blog so that I could share my experiences and tips, whilst keeping myself on track during the process.

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